Lebanese Shi‘ite Leadership, 1920–1970s

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-vii

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Omri Nir

   Pages 1-14

3. Main Classes in the Traditional Lebanese Shi‘ite Community

   • Omri Nir

   Pages 15-33

4. The Centers of Power

   • Omri Nir

   Pages 35-77

5. The Speakership of the Parliament

   • Omri Nir

   Pages 79-85

6. The Intellectuals and the Power Centers

   • Omri Nir

   Pages 87-94

7. The Decline of the Zu‘ama

   • Omri Nir

   Pages 95-116

8. Back Matter

   Pages 117-132

   PDF

This book examines the coalitions and relationships within the power centers of Shi'ite politics during the era of political feudalism in Lebanon. The author maps the Shi'ite leadership and its inter-connections, including the alliances and rivalry between prominent Zu'ama, clans, and Ulama' from the formation of Lebanon in 1920 to the decline of old Shi'ite politics and the emergence of popular movements in the 1970s. The work also explains the role of prominent intellectuals within these power centers.

• Shi'a
• Zu'ama
• Ulama
• Shi'ite leaders
• Hamadeh Tribe
• Dandash Tribe
• al-Zein Family
• al'As'ad Family
• Community leadership
• Middle East

• Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

  Omri Nir

Omri Nir is a leading scholar of Lebanese history and politics and is a lecturer at the Departments of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv University, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and Achva College, Israel. He is often interviewed on Lebanese issues in Israeli, international, and Arab media. He has published numerous articles and is the author of Nabih Berri and Lebanese Politics.

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